Well in my free time this evening, reinstalling windows on a new boot drive in a friends 8yo PC, i think thats the issue with it.

Security wise i might upgrade my plex server(running on a windows 10 hp laptop) to windows 11 hopefully to make it more secure. Ever since i opened port 32400 for plex streaming i have gotten daily notifications saying they blocked another known malicious IP…

Ive read mixed reviews on how much reliance i should put on plex to keep my network secure with that open port. Also, my windows admin account on that pc doesnt have a password to login…

If i am being wreckless and you have security recommendations with justification/reasoning… Please feel free to comment.

Know your biases… This is how you build an echochamber

Teamviewer is free for personal/private use, is super secure and easy to set up.

I use it between my computers and even from my phone with(mediocre) touch controls without issue.

Try to flatten the metal bead back into a 90 degree as best as you can(hammer with flat wood?) then shape with some Bondo or drywall mud, whatever looks good enough to you.

Once its painted again, you wont even notice if its not perfect.

If you dont care about high settings at high resolutions in AAA games, then its absolutely the best gaming option out there.

I do say people should be willing to tinker with the software if they want to get some more obscure, abandoned or emulated titles working though, thats the only caveat.

Key word, “Almost”

RIP Worlds

Yeah i assume ubisoft thinks they can get some of that good will by embedding their drm straight into their games where the layfolk will notice it less.

Clearly it worked for the idiots who titled this article and reposted it.

This is a falsely misleading article, the launcher and login requirement are all there, theyre just not a separate install anymore.

Thank you for this

Ive posted about this before, but yeah the subscription multiplayer model is probably the biggest hurdle keeping xbox games from going fully cross compatible with pc, even more than the technical challenges.

Microsoft could dump funds into a compatibility layer making xbox games work via their UWP-based App store, but they cant because of what that means for their monetization of multiplayer.

People wont welcome them charging for multiplayer on games theyre playing on their PC, so MS would rather focus on a streaming only future, where subscription is mandatory to play.

They will never be good guy Microsoft unless forced. I dont think theyre desperate enough to eliminate the multiplayer subscription, and they will probably liquidate the brand before they ever give up that income stream.

Its not enough, my steamdeck streams xbox games just fine. Unless their pc handheld simultaneously offers near 100% pc game compatibility with an interface as easy to use as steamOS… They wont make a splash with this product(at ~$500).

That probably doesnt matter because this device is just a brand teamup MS thinks is warming people up to the idea of an xbox handheld, when in reality I think it will dilute its reception.

It seems this is more of a trial run, and the console in 2027 would ideally be an xbox OS handheld compatible with that catalogue of games…

Ideally by then they will be blurring the lines between console and pc, and we will see some form of cross compatability.

We will see if they f that up though.

Yeah there is no way in hell they are giving up that subscription money.

It makes me wonder if they are developing some pc based xbox compatibility launcher, that would allow pc’s to play xbox games, but still compartmentalize their subscription audience…

Tbh i fear that xbox and its game library are going to be forgotten about, and left to rot. Even with xbox’s backwards compatibility pushes over the years, they have dug themselves into a hole with their subscriptions.

Xbox wants to believe that the future of games is subscription based, and for them it can be, i just dont anticipate them being market leader doing that until they start releasing must-play games.

As somebody who has dropped A LOT of money to “own” xbox digital games(rather their licenses)… I will definitely feel slighted if thats their future. I somewhat already do.

Forgetting the impending branded PC based handheld…

It will be interesting to see how MS/Xbox handle a handheld console. They have such an opportunity here, but it will be easy for them to squander.

What they might do: Another Xbox "branded’ PC gaming handheld with no xbox game compatibility except for streaming xbox games. This would be a loss and might only peak mild interest, depending on what UI/wrapper they use to launch games and how seamless it makes the process. I dont have faith but hey… Valve did it.

What they should do: At least - it should play native xbox games and be backwards compatible like a series s, just mobile. It also needs the ability to dock to a TV like a steamdeck. Thats it. These things would make the console viable imo. Bonus - if it has any pc game compatibility whatsoever.

The Big issue: Clearly microsoft likes money, and their subscriptions are what make them their money. Seemingly, xbox would like to merge their PC and XBox libraries to be playable on one device which would make them much more desirable and competitive in the gaming space…

What is preventing that most of all, is subscription based multiplayer.

I dont see how xbox could ever give up that huge subscription base to appease fans and achieve parity between console and PC with free multiplayer. I also dont see them having success charging players to play multiplayer PC games on an xbox console, not with their current market share. Having both multiplayer models exist on one device would be convoluted and sure to enrage users.

Logic then leads me to the only real conclusion… Xbox games will remain locked behind subscription models and consoles with subscription based multiplayer.

Imo releasing a PC-native-games only handheld is what will prevent the success of the handheld. We will see how Xbox plays their cards, but odds are they make some short-sighted financial decisions here that handicaps their reception, as usual.

So this is where minecraft having 2 pc versions (java and bedrock) gets complex.

It is very easy to find a custom or cracked launcher for java minecraft, and play it without also having to purchase minecraft on PC. You just have to source the game files for the version(i.e. 1.21) you want and play it with a cracked launcher.

When it comes to multiplayer… Java edition can operate its own server on Lan or the internet, and you can also setup a dedicated server on another machine that will let you and your friends play. This will work with purchased or cracked versions of mc java, assuming the game and server game version numbers match.

The whole reason Mojang/Microsoft made Bedrock was to allow them control over the community, and to make money. This means they charge for skins, resource packs and servers(now known as Realms). As far as i know, you cannot hose a Realm for free or with a crack.

There are programs that can convert bedrock saves to java saves, and vice versa… But the last time i used one it didnt work well.

The best option is to start a Java server, and use mods that allow bedrock players to join. That can be a pain too if they are on console.

This is why there is alot of disdain for the Bedrock version of mc…

The Cerebral Bore from Turok 3, Shadows of Oblivion.

Honestly the whole weapon set was super unique and fun for deathmatch. Too bad the recent remake excluded multiplayer entirely… I’m still very sour about it.

Yeah its pretty bad that ubisoft games have 3 layers of drm - steam, ubi launcher, denuvo.

It seams like EA is learning and releasing some steam games without the ea launcher, i hope Ubi is next too.

Lol thanks for clarifying

Where do you see this chart?